Tune In Tonight: Take a tour of the Holy Land

Is Christmas news? The two-part special “Back to the Beginning With Christiane Amanpour” (8 p.m., ABC) isn’t technically about Christmas, but it’s clearly a nod to a season of faith. Correspondent Christiane Amanpour examines the origins of the biblical narratives that have formed the basis of religions followed by billions to this day.

She travels the region known as the Holy Land that is associated with the birth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as well as the varying interpretations and philosophical schisms that have been the source of so much conflict between religions — and, just as often, within them. The four-hour odyssey concludes at 9 p.m. Dec. 28.

• CBS steals a move from the cable playbook and offers viewers three chances to watch “The Good Wife,” a critical favorite that has yet to find the audience it deserves.

• Die-hard fans should not miss “The Brit List: The Doctor Who Ultimate List of Lists” (9 p.m., BBC America). The network has solicited fans to select the top five “Who” companions, the five scariest moments, the top five monsters and the five things you’d see only on the long-running British import “Doctor Who.”

• The large cast of “New Year’s Eve” (8 p.m., HBO) portrays New Yorkers from all backgrounds bumping into one another on the big night. Critics were unkind to the 2011 Garry Marshall romance. One of the better reviews (by Connie Ogle of The Miami Herald) offered the faintest of praise, using the phrase “not unbearable.”